Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with skills

New Things for the New Year

stennieville — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:39:54 -0800

My goal for the year 2010 is to try one new thing every week. I'm compiling a list of new things to try, and would love input! Looking for ideas in all different areas -- new skills to learn, new hobbies to try out, fix-it projects, tech/computer projects, new recipes to try, magic tricks, you name it. As examples, here's a few things that are on my list already:

- Fix my broken lamp
- Build a lightbulb terrarium
- Learn to knit
- Make an origami crane
- Install Mac-on-a-stick
- Bake bread from scratch
- Eat fried gator (a local Cajun restaurant I go to serves this; I've always wanted to try it)
- Ride in a hot air balloon

There are no wrong answers (except "learn a new language" or something that takes longer than a week to do). I have found some good ideas from these previous AskMe threads, but would love to hear more! Help me fill up my weeks with fun new stuff for the year. Thanks in advance!

PS: Today I did a new thing -- posted my first question to AskMe.

How to maximize jobs with an obscure MA?

flibbertigibbet — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:40:01 -0800

Starting fall 2010, I'll be going to grad school (Master's) in a pretty esoteric field (studying texts from late antiquity, written in an obscure language). If I decide not to go on to the PhD, what can I do now and during my Master's to maximize my job opportunities when I get out? Are there any skills you would really strongly recommend that I pick up? If it helps, I'll be in Ottawa, Canada. My program can withdraw your funding if it finds out you're working more than 10 hours/week, and most of those 10 hours are taking up with your TA work.

How did you become aware of what you are good at and what you suck at?

mokeydraws — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:43:30 -0800

I’m trying to be confident, self assured, and self-aware but constantly doubt myself. It doesn’t feel like I have picked up any valuable skills and it seems like my brain is stagnating. I read constantly and always have but still feel incredibly stupid. That fact that I have not advanced professionally is eating at me. Everyone else seems to possess some magical learning skills and I am not measuring up. I am consistently bad at everything I do and fail to get the big picture or the tiny details. I’m always forgetting something or making simple mistakes. And everything takes a really long time to complete. It has become increasingly difficult for me to recognize my own skills. At this point in my life I need to get good at something because I don’t see any progression in my future with the way things are now. I restarted school this semester and have the same issues grasping ideas and concepts. This just ends up feeding my tendencies to procrastinate.

To the questions!

What are you good at? How did you discover your skill? Is it innate or was it something that you had to really work at? What are some good resources for finding my own skills as well as honing them?

Veni Vidi Vicious

Christ, what an asshole — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:27:03 -0800

How do I become an effective leader? I'm a new member to an organization, and I've been tasked with the head position for our 20-member recruitment class.

I've held management positions in the past, but I still feel relatively inexperienced. That is, I'm learning everything on the go. We're pretty much a ragtag bunch who all met within the last couple weeks. As far as I know, I've earned everyone's respect and haven't violated anyone's trust.

For those with experience, what are some issues I can expect to come across? Any anecdotes and advice are welcome.

Worth improving my web skills to get a job?

wyn — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 08:05:42 -0800

At 35, if I made the effort to acquire the skills, could I get a web developer job? I learnt HTML and CSS about six years ago. I used to work for an online news service (I wasn't a web developer). For the past few years, I've been teaching English as a foreign language in different countries. Now back in the UK, I'm thinking about spending my free (unemployed) time learning XML, PHP, MySql and other web development stuff (any suggestions?). But would it all actually be worth the effort? If all I end up having to show potential employers is a portfolio of personal websites, what are the chances of somebody of my age (without relevant professional experience) getting a decent web developer job?

The Tortoise and the Ant and the ...?

Nonce — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:15:10 -0800

If you wanted a stable, boring (but really only boring in scare quotes), modest life, what career paths would you take? Emphasis on path; I want to come out of this post with a course of action. If you get a masters of library sciences, can you reasonably expect to get a job starting out in the high 20s/low 30s in a place where that's sufficient to be comfortable, with pay increases and advancement on the horizon? Or are there too many people competing for the same jobs for that to be the standard path? Is the digital age cutting funding for libraries, or increasing opportunity? Are archivists able to get work?

I'd love detailed responses from the perspective of work and life that is possible for a liberal arts (English lit degree) college grad who does not want to take on the world, but rather live in it, enjoy it, have space to be aware of his (feel free to substitute her) own thoughts, and avoid any races that center on rodents rather than on the sheer joy of running.

I'd really like special attention paid to practicality and stability. Also, interaction with the public is not a negative at all. In fact, I'd love to avoid interacting with a computer all day, as good at that as I may be. Light exercise and some sun could only improve the equation.

I'd like to assess myself, and my options, and then head in a direction that, barring any black swans, will bear steady fruit I am comfortable with while allowing me to grow in whatever direction it winds up I grow, rather than trading my mental and physical health for high pay.

Is there a way to cheat at life? To wind up doing something that refreshes your soul for eight hours a day, and leaves you more you at the end rather than less? Or at least pays the bills while you fill the rest of your time with art, literature, travel, and companionship (frugally, of course)?

I could see myself building trails, leading tours, researching, tagging, and photographing for the park service, and never feeling like I'd sold a second of my time doing anything I wouldn't have done for free. If I get a master's degree in conservation or forest management, would it be difficult to find a position in the park service a few years from now?

I cannot stress how much I don't want to gamble. Nothing is certain in this life, but there is a certain difference in job prospects between getting that MFA in creative writing so you can teach college and getting that state teaching certificate so you can teach high school. Not that taking a detour to get an MFA precludes anything else at all--but I'm sure you get the picture.

Or at least I hope you do, because I sure don't and I could use a hand.

Simple, useful skills.

Orange Pamplemousse — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:55:41 -0800

What are some useful skills or abilities that can be learned in a short amount of time, and are never forgotten? Examples that I can think of include knot tying, rolling (from a fall), throwing a football and of course riding a bicycle. I'd especially like to know of potentially lifesaving actions that are extremely simple, but unlikely to come up in day-to-day life (eg. Stop, drop and roll for someone who is on fire).

I'd like this job.

ginagina — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 12:43:00 -0800

What qualities do you look for in your circulation clerk? I've got a job interview this week at my University for a circulation clerk position. I've never worked in a library before but I have 6+ years of office and computer experience including database management and filing. I'm also enrolled in the Library and Information Science master's program at the school.

What other skills or qualities should I emphasize?

Thanks in advance!

Is l33tness acquirable?

gadha — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:45:51 -0800

Doing intellectual tasks. Does it ever become second nature? When do the insights begin to appear? I'm going to ask this question in my context, but I'm happy to receive input from anyone in any context.

I "do" computer science. This means I end up doing a lot of coding. I love what I do, and I would say (perhaps with bias) that I am better than average at it. But I'm not great. By great I mean it doesn't come as naturally as I think it should.

I'll illustrate with a couple of examples.
- Supposing I had to write a search routine, and I chose quicksort. I need to go lookup the algorithm and write it, it's not at the top of my head.
- Supposing I was writing a sort routine using brute force. I'd need to carefully check my boundary conditions made sense.
- Supposing I am setting a certain bit-pattern in memory. I need to visualise it paper (110110) and convert it to the hex equivalent.

I feel the difference between being good and being really good at what you do is to have these things naturally (empirical evidence noted from studying better people around me). Does this ever come? Can I make it come?

A second related question is, do I need this level of "quickness" for the clever insights to appear? While I can do very simple optimisations the more complex optimisations or clever tricks elude me. Overall I feel the basics should be things I don't have to think about if I'm to make any bigger contributions.

I suppose you could reword this question as "how do I become sharper/more skilled at what I do?"

Recommended library computer skillz?

wowbobwow — Thu, 28 May 2009 07:13:26 -0800

Seeking recommendations on what software/programs I should learn to be the wiz-kiddiest library science student ever. About to start an MLIS program this Fall. Have the opportunity to take some free or nearly free technology courses through my job. What programs are commonly used by librarians for database work or general cataloging and archiving work? I love databases but am only really familiar with FileMaker Pro and Excel. Please help me get a leg up in this area! Many thanks.

(n.b.: this would be excluding the basic MS Office and text editing programs. Think more along the lines of Oracle or library-specific cataloging/circulation programs like Millennium.)

Get out of the way of that round object.

pseudostrabismus — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:20:32 -0800

I throw like a little kid, and it's embarrassing. Please help me excel at adult dodgeball. I just joined a dodgeball league. We're playing in elementary school gymnasiums. 10" balls- foam interior, rubber skin.
All hits must be below the shoulders without a prior bounce. If a ball is caught before it bounces, the thrower is out.

I learn best from clear verbal descriptions of how to do sports-related things, as I don't instinctively pick up on applied physics. I need to be told in very specific & descriptive words what to do. For instance, I could never control where I bumped a volleyball until someone said, "Pay attention to the speed of the incoming ball and adjust the force of your bump to compensate- so if the ball's coming in fast, your bump should actually pull *away* from the ball, to absorb some of the energy." Sounds obvious, but I never figured it out in years of casual volleyball games, and until that day, I had no idea why my bumps were so erratic.

So, dodgeball. I'd like to learn:

How to throw fast, long, low balls. My throws need to hit people's shins from 6 yards away without bouncing first, and must be difficult for them to catch. I have decent upper body strength for a girl, but I don't know how to use it. My throws often go higher than I want, and are easy to catch- that's no good.
I tend to throw in arcs, but I've observed that it's better to throw in straight lines... how?
How to catch a fast incoming ball without fumbling it.
What exercises could I do to boost my dodgeball arm?
Any other dodgeball strategies that'll make me look like a champ.

Thanks!

There should be a 4th "R"- The Real World

sixcolors — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:49:56 -0800

Why aren't life skills taught in schools? I guess I'm talking about knowledge and skills that pertain to finances, work life, domestic life, social/dating life, the internet, and the law. And...how the education system works, itself. Pretty much the same categories we have here on AskMe.

Wouldn't life be so much easier for us if we learned those sort of things in school or in college?

I mean when I was in high school there was ONE course that taught such things, but it was really really basic stuff. I am speaking of more comprehensive programs.

I'm trying not to get all philosophical here, I am aiming for more concrete answers...like is it a funding problem or what? Not enough hard science or research behind those areas? Those are my guesses. For those who are familiar with the educational system, what are some more concrete reasons why such programs are rare?

Keeping the creative momentum going

divabat — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:29:04 -0800

This year I started doing a circus traineeship and learning burlesque, which is awesome. In a week I have to go back to Malaysia for a few months while my new Australian visa is processed. What can I do in the meantime in the middle of nowhere? I'm mainly concerned with maintaining my skills (our circus traineeship mainly involves ground/floorwork, such as tumbles and acrobalance, as well as some juggling and hoops), my fitness and flexibility, and my creativity (especially on the burlesque end). I have developed a lot over the past few months and would like to keep up the good work. I'd also like to plan out my new life in Australia, especially my finances (and a possible new business venture).

The issue here is that I live in the middle of nowhere: public transport is nearly non-existent and I can't drive so I can't really get anywhere. To do anything interesting I'll have to go to KL, which is a 4-hour bus ride away, and I'll have trouble finding accommodation. In Malaysia I'm rather controlled and limited by my parents, mainly due to lack of mobility and not being in the city centre. The past few times I've come back to Malaysia for holidays I've just atrophied in front of my laptop for the whole day - because there was nothing else to do!

What can I do to keep up the work I'm doing and not lose all the effort? There's no semblance of burlesque or circus anywhere in Malaysia (let alone in my city) so I'll have to do things out of the box, if possible. Some ideas:

* Learning how to make costumes, accessories, pasties (I'm a sewing newbie)
* Looking for yoga or dance classes to go to regularly
* Someone suggested I volunteer for after-school stuff. I could ask my old school if they have students interested in learning some fun performance skills (I'm still relatively a beginner but I can pass on some basic things) or help them with a fundraiser
* Find a yoga DVD and practice with that regularly
* See if there are any adult gymnastics classes (I highly doubt that, but who knows??)
* Draft out ideas for performances, Aussie life, etc
* Getting a job - this is very tricky, as people here are reluctant to hire you if you're only going to be around for a few months (the training would take that long!!). There's also some societal issues that may make this challenging (even though I'm totally up for jobs!!). I'd like to do some location-independent/online stuff but am not sure where to find things that are legit and don't pay peanuts for massive effort.

I've also been thinking of volunteering at events, but things mostly happen in KL which is a 4-hour bus ride (which is fine) and requires accommodation (which is trickier). Any tips around that?

How else can I avoid being another laptop zombie and actually be productive in my transition time?

Marketability:Attainability

shotgunbooty — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:30:35 -0800

What skill has the highest ratio of marketability to ease-of-attainment? I'm looking to invest in my human capital. I want to make the smartest investment I can make. Any suggestions?

How can I study for the OPAC?

limeswirltart — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 09:54:43 -0800

Has anyone taken the Office Proficiency Assessment and Certification (OPAC) test recently, or have documentation on what exactly it tests for in Word and Excel? At the end of May, my husband and I will be moving from Chicago to a TBD city for grad school — possibly in Michigan, California, or Colorado.

I will not be in school at all, and am instead looking for full-time office work.

One of the temp services I'm looking at uses the OPAC. In the early-'90s I did poorly on a similar test, because I didn't know the exact features that it would test on ahead of time, and it didn't allow me to work like I normally do for things I don't know (such as, quickly check the help menu when it asks me to make block quotes).

I have a lot of office experience, but the memory of flubbing the test is sticking with me.

Online I've found a syllabus from 2002, an expensive testing booklet from 1999 (would it be worth it?), and general descriptions on the OPAC website.

Does anyone have recent, firsthand experience?

Thanks!

How an a grown-up learn social skills?

Yakuman — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 18:05:00 -0800

Are there any decent guides to improving your social skills? Most of what I've found on the topic deals with children, formal etiquette, or the standard self-help cant. Is there anything for people interested in the nuts and bolts of building relationships, giving off a good impression, and making people think you are a good guy. I get the idea that most people with bad social skills tend not to care or notice and this hurts the market for such material. I have a pretty good eye for books and I have found precious little on this topic. I assume we are supposed to learn these things in childhood or be screwed for life. There is a quack movement called NLP that obsesses on rapport-building, but provides little of use. The standard therapeutic gurus seem more interested in pumping up emotional states than anything else. And the people who deal in practical advice focus on gatherings like mixers and dinner parties that I rarely attend.

Is there anything else? Surely there are all sorts of socially awkward people looking for tips.

Survival tips&tricks?

tseo — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 05:30:43 -0800

Where can I find some tips&tricks for camping in the nature? I am spending lots of time in the mountains camping and having fun so I was looking for tips and tricks like "How to light a fire when it's raining?", "How to cook stuff in tree barks?", "How to make a shelter?", etc.

Job Title: Charmed Bridge

divabat — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 22:36:14 -0800

I connect very different groups together, and I also tend to make people famous. Where in the world could I make a living out of this? I've noticed two strong patterns in my life lately:

a) I really enjoy finding connections between two or more things/people/groups that don't necessarily have anything in common. For example, my boyfriend and I are working on a web app where people are presented with two different fields of study (say Biology and Architecture) and they provide an idea for how both fields can be combined (creating buildings structurally based on human beings). I tend to do this as a mental hobby, though I've also used this skill a LOT in idea generating - thinking up different sponsorship avenues, connecting contacts with each other, etc.

b) I've somehow managed to inadvertently make friends famous/well-known/happy thanks to a tip or referral. I got one of my close friends on to Twitter and now she's become a very prominent member of the local Twitter group, even to the point of organising events for them (she's an events geek so this is right up her alley). Other friends have heard about conferences from me and got in (I applied and I didn't get in!!), or earned auditions I referred them for, or developed very close friendships/relationships with other people I've introduced them to. The luck doesn't necessarily extend to me personally, but somehow I've got a knack of making others charmed.

I'd like to do more of the above as a current career path. Where would those skills and abilities be useful?

I love research and I like to meet people (though I can be a bit socially awkward). I thrive in conferences and volunteer excursions; not so much in parties. The only thing I can think of is "talent agent" or "networker", but I'm sure there's more that I'm missing.

How should I use my free time constructively?

btkuhn — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:42:40 -0800

How should I use my free time constructively? I'm going to be living away from home for about two/three months for a work project. Because of the living situation, I will be pretty much isolated from other people most of the time, so I'm going to have a lot of free time alone. I will be working for about 40 hours a week, but that will be my only time drain. I'm not used to having almost any free time at all, so this is going to be a radical change. I won't have a TV, and I'll have a computer but only sporadic internet access. I already run/exercise, so I will be keeping that up, but otherwise, my days are wide open.

I'd like to use my free time to do something useful, I just don't know what. I've seen these previous questions on askmefi: 1, 2, 3 , which provide some ideas...but nothing that sticks out at me. I will be taking a stack of books that I've been meaning to read, as well as a programming book that I've been using to teach myself programming.

I'm looking for practical ideas as well as oddball ones. Right now I'm thinking of picking up some unusual skill like juggling and devoting a LOT of time to it, so when I get home and my friends ask what I did while I was gone I can just pick up nine burning torches and start juggling...but I'm not that creative so juggling is the best I can come up with.

"That's an... unusual Works Cited you got there."

ElectricBlue — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 11:23:10 -0800

What are some unusual sources of wisdom or pedogogical tactics for learning new ideas or skills? I'm not sure the best way to phrase this question, but...

I find that information learned through unusual means sticks better. I've occasionally come across books and websites that, while they're definitely about topic A, they are also a wonderful resource on topic B.

For example, the book Impro has a chapter on narrative that has helped me improve on my creative writing. The book The Rapper's Handbook has a clear description of rhyme--in all its forms--that helped me study the meter and rhyme of classical poetry. The website Mei Wah teaches Chinese hanzi through restaurant menus.

What are some resources that you've found helpful? I don't care what your Topic As and Topic Bs are--the more obscure the connection, the better.

I'm also interested in odd pedogogical techniques. I need something to kickstart my brain during the brainnumb of finals.

What do you wish you had known or learned in school?

adamrobinson — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:39:27 -0800

What skills or subjects or topics or experiences -- not just academic but professional, social, and even personal -- do you wish you had learned or acquired in college? I realize this question was asked regarding arts education back in July, but the topic intrigues me on a personal level, but I also think it would be of interest to all metafilter members.

I'm trying to get at whether the knoweldge and skills we find essential as adults, in whatever our life paths, were acquired in or out of school.

Was college indispensable for you, or could you have gotten where you are without the degree?

Any links or resources much appreciated if others have explored these questions.

Suggestions for my new job or career?

springo — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 14:01:35 -0800

I've done some soul-searching, and I've come up with some ideas for new jobs or careers for myself, but I know there are other possibilities out there that I just haven't thought of yet. Based on my skills and interests, can you think of a great job or career for me? My three favorite skills are:

Creating unusual and hilarious new ideas quickly and spontaneously.

Deeply evaluating new ideas created by others and making recommendations on the best ones to use.

Enthusiastically adapting, experimenting with, applying, improving, and promoting other people's good ideas, particularly if the ideas aren't well-known.

My three favorite interests are:

Personal counseling and guidance: finding, integrating, and using new ideas

Entertainment: humor, oddity, and other forms of surprise

Writing

I have technical experience (computer programming and other work for fifteen years, project management) and creative experience as well (acting, music, and writing). I also love taking care of people--service and support jobs have suited me well in the past.

What career fields do my skills and interests suggest to you?

Help me be more productive in my downtime at work.

desjardins — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 13:40:29 -0800

What should I do with my downtime at work that could further my career or be useful in some other way? My workload is really light right now and I have tons of time during the day. The enforcement of the Internet policy is evidently quite lax because I've never been called on my usage (which mostly consists of refreshing MetaFilter and some news sites). In any case, I'm moving on from this job as soon as I can.

What can I do at work that will further my skills or build new ones? I don't want to be too obvious about searching for another job. Besides, I know I need to develop some additional skills in order to be competitive.

I enjoy anything to do with geography, cartography, GIS, statistics, data analysis, and database development. I'd also like to learn programming (would have to start at an extremely basic level). I have an interest in graphic design and web development, but I have Adobe software at home for that.

What are some websites and tutorials you recommend on these topics? My end goal is to get a job as a GIS specialist, public policy analyst, or urban planner. (Preference in that order. I already have a Master's in urban planning.) My current job has nothing to do with any of these, and there's nowhere I want to go in this company.

Caveats: I can't download/install much of anything to the work PC. I do have a 6 GB flash drive. I'm on Windows XP, here and at home. The software I would use professionally (ArcGIS) only runs on Windows anyway, so might as well stick to Windows-based technology. The only thing installed on the work PC is Microsoft Office 2007. I don't want to do anything that would draw a lot of visual attention.

How to teach a microbusiness workshop in the Philippines?

cusr0002 — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 15:35:45 -0800

What are some good resources on teaching micro business in developing countries? I've been invited by the charity that I volunteer for to help facilitate a leadership retreat for high schoolers in provincial areas of the Philippines. Being a recent business school grad - I'd like to come up with a 2-3 hr workshop on basic business skills thats fun and engaging but have no place to start. Most of these children will go on to become farmers so anything in the agricultural field will be helpful too. Does anyone have any resources or references on putting together a curriculum of this kind?

I'd also like to hear from any peacecorp workers out there that are helping out with entrepreneurship too!

Best/Cheapest Photography training in Southern California

samuel1613 — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:11:26 -0800

Best value for the money Photography training in Southern California? My wife is a photographer who has done a dozen weddings, some babys, family, engagement, and party shoots. She is looking to learn more about photography, from f stops and aperature settings, to spot light/stobe placement, to photoshop skills and how to get more clientele. The works, start to finish. The NY school of photography kit she bought is boring, tape lectures and reading. She is looking for hands on training. One photographer in Houston charges $1500 for a one day tranining session, and something like this also looks interesting: http://tinyurl.com/5bp6n4. I would image the LA area has plenty of other "hands on training" sessions that are either more robust, or less expensive. Please give me the names of programs/instructors you have personally used, or resources to find such a program, thanks!